2G Molding the stock sideskirts

[jesse12345]

I have sort of a weird idea but I was just curious if anyone has done it. I researched and found zero on the subject. Has anyone molded the stock sideskirts to the car by any chance? I'm planning on fiber glassing the front caps to the sidekirts only to hold them up better because I don't have the factory holes, and I don't want to put holes in the car. I know these things are heavy tanks, but the only thing that was holding mine up were some nice sheetrock screws underneath, it seemed to be doing the job but it was a bit to janky for me. If anyone has any thoughts I'm all ears. I know if there's any flop or flex the bondo will crack under normal driving. I don't want to run the door caps because again I don't have the holes and I really don't want to make them but I don't want it to look to weird either. I was planning on aftermarket sideskirts, I just don't feel like dropping 300 when I have a couple sets of oem ones which look the best to me.

 

[Dericsh]

What looks worse: holes that EVERY upper model DSM has in the rockers/doors to hold the skirts on that you’ll never see, or unfinished or damaged and unnecessary bondo/paint work?

Not trying to rain on your parade, just seems like a lot of work to avoid drilling some holes. You’re doing as much damage to the side of the car by gooping fiberglass and bondo all over it.

 

[jesse12345]

What looks worse: holes that EVERY upper model DSM has in the rockers/doors to hold the skirts on that you’ll never see, or unfinished or damaged and unnecessary bondo/paint work?

Not trying to rain on your parade, just seems like a lot of work to avoid drilling some holes. You’re doing as much damage to the side of the car by gooping fiberglass and bondo all over it.

I agree with you but if I ever removed them now i have holes in the car. I just have to weigh out my options. I just dont know how a guy makes the holes exactly where there supposed to be. I'm also afraid of those clips breaking since there so old now. I probably won't bondo because the less bondo the better I just want to attach these things without drilling holes. I can try and do it how previous owner did it just not with sheet rock screws. I guess I was more or less curious how the stock sidekirts would look just having them like aftermarket skirts with the seamless lines. If I knew I could make the holes perfect and exactly where there supposed to go it wouldn't bother me so bad.

 

[Justin DuBois]

You need a template.

Find a door in a junk yard without side skirts - lay up a large piece of material to use as a template (thin lexan, aluminum, or card stock) Mark holes in the template. Confirm the alignment by laying it over the other side to compare, and onto the side moldings - then use the template to mark your door, Drill, prime, seal and be done. Use factory clips and 3M body tape to hold the moldings, and now you can use any factory or after market kit like normal body shop mortals.

 

[jesse12345]

You need a template.

Find a door in a junk yard without side skirts - lay up a large piece of material to use as a template (thin lexan, aluminum, or card stock) Mark holes in the template. Confirm the alignment by laying it over the other side to compare, and onto the side moldings - then use the template to mark your door, Drill, prime, seal and be done. Use factory clips and 3M body tape to hold the moldings, and now you can use any factory or after market kit like normal body shop mortals.

Finding an eclipse in a junkyard around here is like seeing Bigfoot. I have a parts car I can get a template from for the doors but there's zero rockers so that'll be a challenge. The doors are my main concern I can tell you guys are highly against molding the stocks to the car which I am too i was just curious how it would look, and if anyone has done it. I'll just mold the front cap to the rest of the sideskirt to make it one and put them on like factory.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Ask around to see if someone here is willing to make you a template. Mark some guide marks on your car so you know you'll be drilling into he right spots. Buy some compatible clips from Amazon and you'll be fine.

 

[jed344]

My advise from someone who has been in the auto body industry for a long time is to drill the holes. We even years ago did a 2gb talon conversion on a 2ga and we drilled the door for the holes. The clips most body shops will have or you can order. We have on hand the exact ones needed for dsm's for this. Many other cars use the same ones from back then. A trick we use when say we are doing something custom and have to mark where to drill for clips or bolts is to put something on the tab where the clip would sit. We often use say big dabs of filler hardener or something similar. Then we push it against the panel when we like where it is. This leaves behind dots and tells us where we need to drill.

Like said or make a template. I would not fiberglass or mold them on. The reason auto manufactures put moldings on done that way is for a few reasons. The main one is flex. Unibody cars flex a surprising amount. The slots the slips slide into and the plastic molding itself can flex and even 3m tape allows some flex. When you try to make things more rigid especially with uni body cars it always ends up causing issues later.

Few year's ago we did some UTE conversion's on modern chargers. We did these with a kit that is made. We did a few things that made it look so much better. The company who made the kit's was sending people to us even. Now years later every single one cracked in a area where the factory metal roof meets the fiberglass rear cab area. We learned even though it looked better we made things to rigid and it would crack vs flex.

 

[jesse12345]

I should have updated this, but I did cut and make templates from my parts car and it worked great. So I now have templates that I will use on my other 2 cars. I did fiberglass the front sideskirt caps to the actual sideskirts and they hold up awesome. I did this to my other car as well. I don't have to worry about mounting tabs breaking for that.

 

[jed344]

I should have updated this, but I did cut and make templates from my parts car and it worked great. So I now have templates that I will use on my other 2 cars. I did fiberglass the front sideskirt caps to the actual sideskirts and they hold up awesome. I did this to my other car as well. I don't have to worry about mounting tabs breaking for that.

Good to hear then. I have never molded the fender cap to the side skirt myself so hopefully that holds up. I would think it should just adds the extra work to pull hole skirt now to remove a fender. Either way good deal.

 

[jesse12345]

Good to hear then. I have never molded the fender cap to the side skirt myself so hopefully that holds up. I would think it should just adds the extra work to pull hole skirt now to remove a fender. Either way good deal.

When I have to remove a fender i just unbolt the front and set it on a couple blocks of wood, just so it doesn't stress to bad in the back. I put bolts through with lock nuts just so I know they won't fall off.